It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him. I was Esmeraude. I lived for me and only me. It wasn’t in my nature to go off lusting after some guy, especially one who was as distant as Dimando.

I really don’t know what I did to deserve such anguish, but Cupid was merciless in his pursuits. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with Dimando, and tried everything I could to gain his affections, making a complete idiot of myself in the process.

I felt as if my mind and heart were at war with each other, one the voice of reason, and one the voice of dreams and fantasies. My mind told me the bare facts...he didn’t love me and never would. But my heart told me that one day I would be his Queen and rule the world by his side.

Eventually, my mind gave in...it was no match for the green racing through me. Though I was not fond of the Wiseman, something inside my heart told me that the hooded weirdo was the only one who could help me. And I believed it. I still can't believe I was that dumb.

Only once did I have second thoughts before putting that tiara on my head. Just for a split second, a brief second, I felt invincible, powerful, in control of my surroundings, like I could take on anything. The world was mine!

Cold reality hit next, that awesome power turning into pain, unmanageable pain. I collapsed, falling into a void, forever falling into nothingness. Forever lost, forgotten. Nothing.

"Dimando."